Azarenka repeats as Aussie champ

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - Victoria Azarenka overcame a hostile
crowd and outlasted a hampered Li Na, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, on Saturday to secure her
second straight Australian Open title.

The top-seeded Azarenka earned her 15th career title and second Grand Slam
championship. She became the third woman with back-to-back Aussie Open crowns
in the past 13 years, joining Jennifer Capriati (2001-02) and Serena Williams
(2009-10).

Li, who twice had to take an injury timeout, fell in the Australian Open final
for the second time in three years. She also lost in the 2011 title match to
Kim Clijsters, then went on to capture her lone Grand Slam championship at the
French Open later that year.

On the first point following a 10-minute break early in the third set caused
by nearby fireworks for Australia Day, Li took a tumble and hit her head. She
was examined and allowed to continue, but Azarenka dominated from there.

The Belarus native was trailing 2-1 at the time, but won five of the final six
games to polish off Li, who had the backing of the crowd from the start of the
match.

Li was unable to convert three break-point chances in the eighth game of the
final set. Azarenka managed to hold for a 5-3 edge and closed out the match
with a break after Li committed a trio of errors.

Azarenka improved to 6-4 lifetime against Li and beat the sixth-seeded Chinese
star for a fifth straight time. Li, though, had won their only two previous
Grand Slam encounters -- a fourth-round victory at the 2011 Australian Open
and a quarterfinal triumph en route to the title at Roland Garros a few months
later.

Neither player served particularly well in a first set that featured seven
breaks of serve.

Li got to Azarenka's serve four times in the opening set, including in the
final game when Li failed on her first three attempts at set point before
Azarenka committed a costly double fault to give away the first set.

Azarenka responded by taking the first three games of the second set before Li
broke serve to pull within 3-1.

With the next game tied at 30-30, Li rolled her left ankle while trying to
change directions on the baseline. She immediately fell to the court, then
walked gingerly back toward her seat before being examined. The trainer then
taped the left ankle of Li, who returned to the court after a seven-minute
break.

Li seemed unfazed by the injury, as she rallied for back-to-back winners to
pull within 2-3, then broke again in the eighth game to square the set at 4-4.

Azarenka answered by breaking Li's serve and then won all four points in the
final game to send the match to a decisive third set.

The 23-year-old Azarenka will retain her No. 1 ranking thanks to the victory.
She would have been surpassed by Williams if Li had won Saturday. Azarenka
improved to 15-11 in finals, including 2-1 at the majors. She lost to Williams
in last year's U.S. Open finale.

Li, who won the Aussie Open tune-up in Shenzen to start the year and was a
semifinalist in Sydney, fell to 7-9 in her career finals and 1-2 in Grand Slam
title matches.